Newborns - sugar water / pacifier?

[ilikedonuts]

Some people think that pacifiers can cause nipple confusion if you are BFing.

No idea on the sugar water.

[madringal]

I think some hospitals give BF moms sugar water to help a baby start to nurse. If you put a little on your breast the baby can taste it and it may help them suck.

I am very pro paci after about week 1. Mine never had any nipple confusion and it prevented me from being a human paci during those first horrible weeks when all a baby wants to do is comfort nurse. I kind of paci trained my kids (this may be flameful) with Mylicon. Tiny drop of gas drops and then the paci every time they got the paci. The taste of the gas drops got them to really suck on the paci, and paci usually equals calming down/sleep.

[pamela]

The only time mine was given sugar water/paci in the hospital was for his circumcision. They do it to help with pain. Once he came back to the room, he never took a paci again.

[karinothing]

I didn't want my kids to take a paci. They seem like a pain to get rid of. And I have no problem if he wanted to comfort nurse because I believe it helped my supply. Plus, I had nothing else to do ha ha.

Maybe with a second kid it will be different.

[slug*bug]

Jun 27, 2012 7:39:32 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

Some people think that pacifiers can cause nipple confusion if you are BFing.

This. I'll admit to breaking this rule on day 2 w/DS (earlier w/DD): it didn't seem to impact BFing with either of them.

[mrshandy]

The only time DS was given sugar water was the circumcision.

The pacifier thing is to prevent nipple confusion. DS never got one at the hospital. We gave it to him a week or two after he was born at the recommendation of a LC so he would cut back his hour-long nursing sessions.
He used it occasionally, but never really loved it. Finally, he didn't seem interested in it at all around 5 months so we just never gave it him anymore and he never missed it.

[Ashley&Scott]

We allowed sugar water & paci for the circ but no other times.

[satama]

They sometimes give sugar water when babies have low blood sugar to bring it up quickly. I was diabetic during both pregnancies so this was a concern. I wanted to breasted feed so for some reason they give sugar water over formula, maybe because they can give less of it? I know both boys had pacis dipped in it for their circimcisons.

People say pacifiers can cause nipple confusion or mess up your supply. I never had a problem with either kid. I tried to avoid giving a paci to DS1. But when my nipples ended up bloody I gave in. He wanted to sick non stop, so does DS2. Since then, they started reccomending them for SIDS prevention. We gave DS a paci probably day 2 in the hospital. But he may have had one in the NICU before that.

[water*drop]

We used sugar water on my nipple the second night in the hospital because DD just would not suck after latching.

We didn't use a paci in the hospital, and she still won't take one. She doesn't seem to be a big comfort nurser, though.

[satama]

Jun 27, 2012 8:18:27 GMT -5 @domerjen said:

I don't want to start a circ debate, but the boys receiving the sugar water getting that in addition to anesthesia, right???

Mine got a local in the form of a numbing cream they apply ahead of time.

[wordtothewise]

Sweet ease (which is basically sugar water) was used all of the time in the NICU - on neonates, it helps with pain reduction, etc. With respect to the paci, the NICU highly encouraged using them it, as it developmentally appropriate. My baby used one in the NICU all of the time, but refused it once he was about 3 months old. I tried and tried to get him to use one at night since there is some evidence that it lowers the SIDS risk, but he refused.

[Ashley&Scott]

Jun 27, 2012 8:18:27 GMT -5 @domerjen said:

I don't want to start a circ debate, but the boys receiving the sugar water getting that in addition to anesthesia, right???

For us it was in addition to a local anesthetic.

[aspentosh]

We didn't do a pacifier until BFing was established. DD was so small that her latch was horrible, so it was totally necessary for us.

No idea about sugar water.

[aspentosh]

Jun 27, 2012 8:41:46 GMT -5 @msstarry said:

OK so this is probably stupid but I swear I heard back on TN that if you give a baby anything other than breastmilk it hurts the effectiveness of BM or something. Am I totally making this up? I do have BFing class next week so I imagine it will be covered there.

Not effectiveness, but quantity. In the beginning it's a supply-demand cycle. If you nurse on demand you're setting your supply. If you give formula, you're missing that signal to produce more milk (unless you pump as a replacement, which most recommend NOT doing until 4-6 weeks).

[froggy76]

I used both from day 1 and never had a single issue BFing. The sugar water was just to put on my nipple to entice her to nurse. Worked like a charm, and after a couple days she had the hang of it and didn't need the sugar water anymore. My LC told me the pacifier is ok as long as we aren't using it when she's hungry.

There was a study recently showing that pacifier use in the hospital can actually promote BFing. I think the conclusion was that women are more likely to supplement with formula when their baby is crying if they aren't using a pacifier.

[Deleted]

The issue with a paci early on is that it teaches the baby to suck wrong. Baby practices a latch that isn't effective and will hurt on your nipple. They strengthen muscles that aren't the ones they need to eat. Some babies have no issue with this - but some really do. It's not "confusion" (they know where the milk is), but it's practicing the wrong skill and some babies just aren't as adaptable.

There is also the "virgin gut" - a baby that has had nothing to eat except breastmilk develops a very particular balance of bacteria in the intestines. Introducing anything else (sugar water, formula) will mess this up for about 2 weeks. It makes the baby more vulnerable to infections and allergens. I've mostly seen this for formula, but I would avoid sugar water if possible. We didn't circ so it never really came up. I nursed through any procedures that were painful (first blood draw, first shots).

[ijack]

For us a paci was kind of a must with both girls - they are both suckers and needed it to soothe. If I offered the breast instead then they got food when they weren't hungry and promptly ended up spitting it up because they were too full. It's also very common with preemies. Neither had any issues BFing.
No clue if #2 got sugar water (I doubt it), but #1 did a few times in the NICU.

[oregonpachey]

At our hospital, we were asked if they could give DS sugar water during his heel prick and initial shots. We said they could but they didn't need to because he didn't make a peep.

[keh2oblue]

No idea on the sugar water...thought that was an old wives tale.

As for the paci, we didn't want to give DD one because I didn't want to have to take it away. Then the colic set in and I TRIED to give her one, but she wouldn't take it. I think for #2 we'll go ahead and give him one at the beginning, then try to wean him off of it by 6 mo.

[Deleted]

Sugar has been medically proven to reduce pain in newborns. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12087649

But I'd say it works because breastfeeding works. Note that none of the things studied were breastfeeding - it was paci, sugar paci, sugar water, or nothing.

This study review says the same thing. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17661578 So next time, I'll do the same thing and offer boob.

[Deleted]

Our hospital gives sugar water to level out baby's blood sugar. They also do it to help soothe the baby. Some parents don't want that because it's not wise or possible to keep a newborn quiet all the time, which is what the nurses want.

I've also read that pacifiers lead to "nipple confusion" for BFing, but I think that's crap. DS definetely knew from day 1 that his paci was not my boob, there was no confusion. Newborns want to suck non-stop, and when DS just wanted to comfort nurse he would get mad that the was still milking coming, and spit up everywhere from being too full. He just wanted to suck, the paci works great. I see nothing wrong with a paci.

[jenjen]

DS isn't a comfort nurser so he doesn't use the boob as a paci replacement. I actually was surprised that they didn't offer a paci at our hospital. Everyone has always told me how the hospital paci's are their kids favorites. It didn't occur to me to ask before his birth about paci use at the hospital but I'm glad they don't just shove one in the babies mouth. He seems content without one and I tried one yesterday and he had no interest at all.

Also, someone mentioned not pumping for 4-6 weeks which was my original plan but the engorgement was so bad that I had to buy a pump the first full day we were home (my milk came in that afternoon) to relieve the pressure. The first night we were home my boobs were so hard and painful I wanted to puncture them with a knife. I just stood in the warm shower with a towel across them and cried. I went to visit the LC and she said pumping is fine to relieve pressure as long as I wasn't emptying my boob every time. So I usually pump several times a day depending on how much he's eating and how bad the pressure is.

[SusanBAnthony]

Jun 27, 2012 10:50:16 GMT -5 @supergreen said:

Our hospital gives sugar water to level out baby's blood sugar. They also do it to help soothe the baby. Some parents don't want that because it's not wise or possible to keep a newborn quiet all the time, which is what the nurses want.

I've also read that pacifiers lead to "nipple confusion" for BFing, but I think that's crap. DS definetely knew from day 1 that his paci was not my boob, there was no confusion. Newborns want to suck non-stop, and when DS just wanted to comfort nurse he would get mad that the was still milking coming, and spit up everywhere from being too full. He just wanted to suck, the paci works great. I see nothing wrong with a paci.

With DS I wouldn't do a paci for a few weeks bc I was terrified of nipple confusion. Then he didn't end up wanting it, and loved the boob with the passion of 1000 suns. With DD I said eff that, my nipples hurt, and gave her the paci. It was heaven. It was a miracle. etc etc. But she did love the paci and bottle nipples a little too much, and ended up nursing striking and weaning at 8 months (I fought it for a month and then gave up and gave formula).

I would still give a paci if we have a third, but I will not do it quite so carelessly. There is a reason studies have shown it can cause nipple confusion- bc it can. Doesn't mean it always will, but it can.

[sawyerthedestroyer]

We wanted to avoid nipple confusion by giving a pacifier and I just didn't like the idea of having to ween DS from the paci later on. DS had no problem latching and we got into the groove with BFing quickly so he did get a paci from the nurses on his 2nd night. He only used it occasionally, but never really cared for it so we went ahead and got rid of the pacis at about 6 months. Phew!

TBH, I didn't do a ton of research concerning sugar water, but I didn't want DS to have it because I simply didn't like the idea sugar being introduced to DS as his first food after breast milk.

[6fsn]

Here's my anecdotal sugar water story. The second night in the hospital I was so tired and in so much pain. DS wouldn't latch and was just laying in my arms screaming. I pushed the nurse call button and just cried. The nurse came in, squirted something on my boob, shoved baby on and walked out. The nurse never said a word and DD was happy right away. If I hadn't looked at the bottle I wouldn't have known what it was. We never had another issue with bf'ing.

[cjeanette]

Jun 27, 2012 7:58:40 GMT -5 karinothing said:

I didn't want my kids to take a paci. They seem like a pain to get rid of. And I have no problem if he wanted to comfort nurse because I believe it helped my supply. Plus, I had nothing else to do ha ha.

Maybe with a second kid it will be different.

The pain is getting them to stopping sucking a finger or thumb. Both my kids rejected the paci for this and I still have issues.

Not that I argue your choice. Just looking for pity

[karinothing]

Jun 27, 2012 14:26:05 GMT -5 cjeanette said:

Jun 27, 2012 7:58:40 GMT -5 karinothing said:

I didn't want my kids to take a paci. They seem like a pain to get rid of. And I have no problem if he wanted to comfort nurse because I believe it helped my supply. Plus, I had nothing else to do ha ha.

Maybe with a second kid it will be different.

The pain is getting them to stopping sucking a finger or thumb. Both my kids rejected the paci for this and I still have issues.

Not that I argue your choice. Just looking for pity

Ha, well DS semi sucks his thumb (he just seems to chew on it) I have no clue if he will keep it up. So perhaps I will be sharing your misery later on